Art of and apparatus for manufacturing composite threads for weaving chair-seat



N 609,45 I Y l n o 2 amonms. PatemdMg 23, |898 ART 0F AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING COMPOSITE THREADS FDR WEAVmG CHAIR SEAT FABRICS, &c.

(Application filed Novi. 6. 1897.) (No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIII No. $09,452. Patented Aug. 23, |898.

E. Monms. I ABT 0F AND APPARATUS FUR MANUFAGTURING COMPOSITE THREADS FUR WEAVING CHAIR SEAT FABRICS, 61,0.

(Application led Nov. 6, 1897.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(N0 Model.)

33% A.(9 woz/m o,

rrr:` A

EDMUND MORRIS, OF MICHIGAN CITY, INDIANA.

WEAVING CHAIR-SEAT SPECIFICATION forming part of" Letters Patent N o. 609,452, dated August 23, 1898.

Application iiled November 6, 1897. `Serial No. 657,680. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDMUND MORRIS, a citi-` Zen of the United States, residing at Michigan City, in the county of La Porte and State of Indiana, have invented a new and usefulArt of and Apparatus for the Manufacture of Composite Threads for Weaving Chair-Seat Fabrics, &c. of which the following is a speciication.

l-Ieretofore split cane has been very largely employed in the manufacture of chair-seats, chair-backs, &c., and there has been :no satisfactory substitute for this material so far as I am aware. Split cane is imported and is quite expensive. It is necessary to splice the cane in order to obtain indeiinite lengths for rapid weaving. I have discovered that a suitable substitute for canemay be produced in indefinite lengths by properly treating fibrous materials, such as paper and textile fabric, and combining these with astrengthening strand or filament, such as wire.

In my application for patent filed November 6, 1897, Serial No. 657,679, I have described in detail the composite material which I have invented. The present application is confined to the art and apparatus for the manufacture of such material, which, briefly stated, consists of a filament or wire of good tensile strength covered with iibrous material, such as paper, and an interposed layer of muslin or other textile material. The muslin is sized with glue or other hardening material, and the paper strips are cemented to the muslin andinclose-the wire. Silicate of soda or other polishing material is used to give to the threads a glaze or polish resembling the natural glaze of cane, while a coating of varnish may be employed to preserve the silicate of soda when this material is used and-give finish to the threads or fabric.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a diagram of the apparatus which I employ for treating, assembling, and uniting the materials of which the threads are composed. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the assembling and compressing rolls. Figs. 8 and i are detail views of the wire-guide. Fig. 5 shows a longitudinal central section of the machine for slitting a gang of connected threads into individual threads. Fig. 6 shows a front elevation'of theslitting-machine. Fig. 7 is a `detail View in section, on the line 7 7 of Fig.

dividual spools, (also not shown in the drawings.) The paper may be Manila or jute pa-4 per, that drawn from the upper roll being preferably thicker or heavier than that drawn from the lower roll. The cloth employed is preferably muslin, and a sufficient length of this material is prepared by first sewing together several pieces or bolts and then passing them through a bath of melted glue,

'whence it is ledbetween pressure-rollers,

which serve to press out all superiiuous glue, leaving the required amount in the fabric, which is then spread upon a rack to dry.. This drying results' in a shrinkage of about ten per cent. in the width of the cloth. After being dried'the cloth is cut into strips of about the' saine width as the paper and is wound on rolls. The apparatus for sizing the fabric is not herein shown, as the specific apparatus employed is not important and forms no part of my present invention. As many wires are employed as are necessary to form strengthening-laments for each of the threads of the gang of threads produced.

The assembling and compressing machine shown consists of an upper roll D and a lower rollD', supported, respectively, in upper journal-boxes CZ and lower boxes d. The lower boxes d rest on a bed-plate D2, from. which rise standards D3, between which the boxes are arranged. The upper boxes d are free to move vertically, and are guided by suitable guides d3. The lower roll D rests in open bearings in the boxes d', while the upper roll has no lower bearings, but moves in semicircular bearings in the upper boxes d. The upper boxes d are pressed downwardly to cause pressure between the rolls by means of levers D4, pivoted to the standards and extending IOO quite thin.

horizontally across the boxes, upon which they press through the medium vof short Vertical pins d4. Veights D5 are suspended from the forward ends of the levers D4. The upper roll D has its surface formed into closely-adjoining parallel circular grooves 7L, concave in cross-section, which are intended to give the proper and usual convex form to the upper side of the threads produced. The lower roll has a similar number of smaller parallel grooves 7L formed on its surface, coinciding in position with the grooves h in the upper roll. The object of the grooves h in the lower roll is to cause the wires to maintain proper positions during the rolling process, the effect being to cause each wire to maintain a middle position in each individual thread. The wires press the lower paper strip down into the grooves, and thus the paper is prevented from being cut by the wires, and ribs are produced on the finished article. If the lower roll were a plane cylinder, the wires would be easily dislodged laterally and mislaid, and any unequal distribution of glue or any bend in the wire would cause such a displacement as to make the product defective.

Upon each of the roller-shaftsE, preferably outside of the journal-box, is secured a pressure-collar F. These pressure-collars bear against each other and prevent the surfaces of the rolls from being indented or bruised by contact with each other. The collars are of such diameter as to allow the rolls to approach each other just close enough to form the fabric of the required thickness. Spurgears G, fixed upon the shafts E, gear the rolls together, and the shaft of the lower roll is extended to receive a pulley or gear-wheel H for communicating power. Guide-bars I 112, circular in cross-section and having collars t' at their opposite ends, are secured to the rear standards D3. The two webs of paper and the web of muslin are guided by these bars. A wire guide J is supported on brackets secured to the front standards. This wireguide consists of two horizontal plates j j', securely fastened together one above the other. They extend across the machine and are rigidly secured on the brackets J 2. In the upper side of the lower plate j is formed a series of wire-guiding recesses or grooves 73, which extend across the plate in line with the course of the wires. 'They iit the wires closely in order that each wire as it issues from its guide shall be directed toward its proper position between the assembling-rolls. The guide J is so disposed as to reach as closely as possible to the meeting-point of the assembling rolls without touching the paper and cloth, and to facilitate this the forward edges of the plates j j' are beveled, leaving the front edge By this arrangement the wires are accurately delivered, each groovejg being directly in line with one of the small grooves h in the lower roll D. There is a tendency for glue to be squeezed back by the rolls D D into the grooves ja in the wire-guide. If

this glue becomes hard, it will bind the wires and prevent their being fed forward when the machine is started. In order to obviate this, a recess ,7'4 is planed transversely in theupper side of the lower plate j', nearits forward edge, intersecting all the grooves js. This recess is beveled at its forward side to facilitate string ing the wires through the guides and acts as a drain for any glue that may enter the grooves js, preventing it from passing into the rear portions thereof. The recess jl is so close to the forward edge of the plate that the small amount of glue that can be contained within the forward portion of the grooves will not be sufficient to bind the wires. The recess may be cleaned by means of a solution of caustic pot-ash or any other solvent of glue, which may be introduced through the passages ,7'5 in the top plate'j, which lead from holes jb' in the rear portion of the upper plate. Preferably there are iive or six passages, and the solvents will readily pass through them to the recess jt, dissolving the glue therein and percolating through the grooves jg, and thus effectually cleaning them.

The paper from the roll A is led through devices K for applying glue to its under side. Any suitable devices for this purpose may be employed; but I prefer to useya roller k, mounted in suitable bearings in a steamjacketed vessel k. Steam enters the steamjacket through a pipe 7a2 and exhausts through the pipe 7c3. A guide-roller 7o is mounted in suitable bearings on the top of the steambox, and the paper passes under this roller before passing over the glue-applying roller 7o. A similar guide-roller 7o is mounted on the opposite side of the apparatus, and the paper passes under this roller after having received glue on its under side from the glueapplying roller 7s. The guide-rollers and the glue-applying roller are revolved very easily and are turned by the passage of the paper, which contacts with them. An adjustable doctor or cleaner 757 is employed to regulate the amount of glue applied by the roller 7c to the paper. The gluing devices K for the lower paper are similar in all respects to the gluing devices K for the upper paper. The lower paper is, however, led through in a slightly-different way, being turned at a: about one of the guide-rollers, so that its glued side shall be uppermost and face the glued side of the upper paper.

The wires L areled from individual spools and passed through perforations in a hori- Zontal plate L', said perforations being so arranged as to position the wires to permit of their being more easily guided by the guide J. The plate Ll is preferably arranged some distance from the pressing and assembling rolls, and the paste-applying devices K K are arranged at a sufficient distance therefrom to allow the paper to be easily guided to the rolls. The upper paper passes under and in contact with the guide-bar I, and the lower paper passes over and in contact with the IOO IIO

IIS

guide-bar I2, the wire-guide J being interposed between the two paper webs. As before explained, the sizing and drying of the muslin result in considerable shrinkage thereof, and this shrinkage is quite uneven. The inequalities show themselves in numerous wrinkles in the dried cloth, so that in this form it would be very difficult, if not impracticable, to feed the cloth in a straight course between the assembling-rolls. This uneven shrinkage is probably due to some slight and unavoidable lack of uniformity in the distribution of the sizing-glue. The unsoftened fabric, being more or less rigid and unyielding, does not run truly. It cannot conveniently be pulled sidewise to adjust it as it approaches the roll, and the wrinkles are sometimes so numerous that it is very difficult to slit a bolt of the stuff into strips that are straight. This would of course add to the difficulty of feeding the cloth in a dry state through the rolls. Moreover, the glue in hardening the cloth gives it quite a rough body and surface, the meshes of the cloth being filled with hardened glue, which stands out quite prominently. The paper to which the muslin is attached is softened by the application of the wet warm melted glue, and if it were rolled heavily upon the rigid dry cloth a rough surface would be imparted to the outer side of the soft paper. This will result in an imperfect product, as it is highly l important that the threads be as ,smooth as possible in order to properly imitate cane. In order to overcome these difficulties, I provide means for softening the sized muslin during its passage toward the assemblingrolls. The softening devices M consist of a heating-box m, having horizontal openings m' in opposite ends near the top. supplied to the box through a pipe m2, and steam may exhaust through the openings 'm'. Tater of condensation may escape through a pipe m3. A number of parallel horizontal wires m4 are disposed lengthwise within the box just below the level of the cloth-openings, upon which the cloth rests during its passage. These will prevent the cloth from dragging along the bottom of the box, which may at times contain condensed steam. At the forward end of the box is journaled a roller m5, which supports the cloth in its passage and prevents the glue from being scraped off by the lower edge of the opening in the box. From the roller m5 the cloth passes over the guide-bar l' to the assembling-rolls. The steam softens the sized cloth, so that it is very flexible and pliable and capable of much more compression than if it were dry. guided laterally by an attendantwhen necessary, being easily pulled diagonally or cornerwise, like any piece of thin textile material. This would notbe practicable if the material v were dry. The sized 1n uslin is connected with the paper strips while the glue `on the paper and the muslin is soft, and a firm union is effected by means of the assembling and compressing rolls.

Steam is Vhen united in this way, the paper covering is not marked in any way by the meshes of the muslin.

It will be observed that the heating devices M andthe gluing devices K K' are all situated some distance from the assembling rolls. This is for the purpose of giving the paper time to swell and the softened cloth time to stretch before they are :rolled together. If

`the strips of paper were rolled too soon after applying the glue, they would continue to swell or stretch after being united, and this would result in forming loose places or blisters where the materials had come apart soon after being glued. This is true also of the cloth. By locating the softening devices and the gluing devices at proper distances from y the assembling rolls these objections are avoidedand the product is perfectly even. I have, however, obtained fairly good results wherethe cloth is led through a bath of glue to size it and then fed at once between the assembling-rolls. This is not nearly so good as the other way described, for in this case the glue would be very soft and would be squeezed backward and out by the rollers, thereby rendering the fabric deficient in glue, and consequently' in hardness. The best results are obtained where the hardened glue in the sized cloth is softened (not dissolved) by the steam. f

I have described the best ways of applying glue to the paper and to the cloth; but I consider as within the scope of my invention other means of accomplishing the same pur-- consists of a gang of parallel threads, eachl one of which in cross-section resembles ordinary cane. The threads are all connected together by shallow webs, and each thread, as

shown in Fig. 9, is curved on its upper side."

On its lower side it is straight orflatfor the most part, but has a central rib .a The lower- IOO paper strip is indicated at a', the upper strip at z2, the muslin at e3, and the wire at e4. It will be observed that the wire projects part way into the rib ,e andis completely inclosed.

The fabric is damp when it emerges from the rolls, and it should be rolled up and thoroughly dried before it is cut up into threads. For slitting the fabric into individual threads I employ the apparatus shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7. Preferably this apparatus, as shown, consists of two horizontal shafts N N', journaled in standards O, mounted on a bedplate O'. The shafts are geared together, and

the lower shaft is extended to receive a pulley I", to which power maybe applied. Upon the upper shaft N is fitted a series or gang of rotary cutters Q, and upon the lower shaft is a corresponding gang of cutters Q. All of these cutters are of the same thickness or width, and this width corresponds exactly with the width of the single cane thread produced. The cutters are so disposed that the peripheries of one series intersect or overlap the peripheries of the other in order to shear the fabric. The cutters of each gang are separated from one another by collars q, interposed between them, said collars being of the same width as the cutters and of the same width as the threads produced. The fabric is fed forward between the cutters, and it is separated into individual threads, which are wound upon spools. The faces of the cutters Q of the upper series are grooved at q to fit the convex upper sides of the threads in order to prevent any distortion or marring of the surface of the threads, and the faces of the lower cutters are grooved at q2 for the passage of the ribs which contain the wires Z4. The grooves q2 are preferably somewhat larger than the ribs usually required, so as to give plenty of room in case the Wires should be slightlydisplaced. The grooves in the upper cutters may be more concave than is required to iit the threads, so that the fabric shall be pressed upon by the cutters only on the lines where it is to be cut-that is to say, the cutters are so constructed that they do not press upon all points of the fabric, but only on the thin Webs between the individual threads.

It is important that the fabric be guided very correctly with reference to the slittingcutters, so that it shall be cut only along the thin webs between the threads. For this purpose I employ a guide R, constructed as follows: A guide-bar r is arranged transversely in rear of the cutters and is supported on standards r', mounted on the bed-plate O. The lower side of the guide-bar r is corrugated, as shown at r2 in Fig. 7, to permit the passage of the fabric. Below the guide-bar r is arranged another guide-bar R', which is pivoted at r3 to the standards r'. This guidebar has rearwardly projecting arms r4, to which are attached springs T5, connected also with the bed-plate O. The upper front edge of the bar R is corrugated, as shown at r6 in Fig. 7, the arrangement being such as to permit the corrugated fabric to pass through and between the guide-bars in a straight line, each individual thread passing through individual corrugations fr2 r6 in the guide-bars. These corrugations, however, are made slightly larger than the threads, so as not to exert pressure thereon; but are sufficiently smallto prevent the threads from being dislodged. The pressure exerted by the springs r5 is not such as to cause the guide-bars to bite or unduly press the fabric, butis merely sufcient to keep the bars together and keep the threads in line and to permit the bars to yield to accommodate any slight inequalities in the fabric. By this machine the gang of connected threads is slit up into individual threads of uniform Width. These threads are then preferably treated with a finishing or polishing material, such as a solution of silicate of soda, which for this purpose is preferably of a density of about 30 Baume. The paper becomes filled with the polishing material, and is thereby rendered quite hard and is adapted to resist the Wear which it is to receive in a chair-seat.

'The coating is quite similar to the coating of ordinary cane. Sulfate vof potash or other hardening or polishing material might be used instead of silicate of soda; but for many reasons silicate of soda is the preferred material. In order to protect the silicious coating when such is used, varnish may be applied to the material either before or after it is woven. Such varnish not only affords a hard coating, but also prevents the silicate of soda from being attacked by the gases in the atmos-l phere.

The material produced by my invention is claimed in my application for patent filed November 6, 1897, Serial No. 657,679, while the rotary cutters or slitting-machine shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7 of the accompanying drawings is claimed in my application for patent led November l2, 1897, Serial No.658,327.

I claim herein as my invention-- l. The art of manufacturing threads for Weaving, consisting in uniting together by pressure, strips of paper treated with an adhesive substance, a strip of sized textile material and a strengthening-filament.

2. The art of manufacturing threads for weaving, consisting in uniting together by pressure, strips of paper treated with an adhesive substance, a strip of sized textile material and a strengthening-filament, and then treating the material with a coating to glaze `or harden it.

3. The art of manufacturing threads for weaving, consisting in sizing a strip of textile material, applying an adhesive substance to strips of paper, then softening the sized material, then uniting the paper and textile material to a strengthening-filament and then compressing the combined materials into form.

4. The art of manufacturing threads for Weaving, consisting in sizing a strip of textile material, applying cementing material to strips of paper,then softening the sized fabric, assembling the paper, fabric and a strengthening-filament, then compressing the assembled materials to unite them and give to them the proper form'.

IOO

5. The art of manufacturing threads for manufacture of threads for weaving, comprising grooved compressing-rolls, cement-applying devices, softening devices, means for supplying paper past the cement-applying devices to the compressing-rolls, means for supplying sized textile fabric through the softening devices, and means for operating the rolls to unite, compress and give form to the materials.

7 The herein-described apparatus for the manufacture of threads for weavin g, comprising grooved compressing-rolls, cement-applying devices, softening devices, means for supplying paper past the cement-applying devices to the compressing-rolls, means for supplying sized textile -fabric through the softening devices to the compressing rolls, means for operating the rolls to unite, compress and give form to the materials, and meansforsupplyingastrengthening-mament, such as wire.

8. The herein-described apparatus for the manufacture of threads for weaving, comprising grooved compressing-rolls, cement-applying devices, softening devices, means for sup plying strips of paper to the compressingrolls, means for supplying sized textile material through the softening devices to the compressing-rolls, means for supplying a plurality of strengtheningfilaments, such as wire, guides for directing the wires individually, and means for operating the rolls.

9. The assembling, compressing and feeding rolls herein described, the upper one of which has a concave peripheral groove and the lower one of which has a peripheral groove much smaller and narrower than the groove in the upper roll but arranged under it and in line with its middle portion.

10. The assembling, compressing and feeding rolls herein described, the upper one of which has a series of concave peripheral grooves and the lower one of which has a corresponding seri es of peripheral grooves, much smaller than the grooves in the upper roll, but arranged beneath them and in line with their middle portions.

11. The combination with the grooved feeding and compressing rolls, of means for supplying strips of fibrous material thereto and a Wire-guide having grooves or channels for directing the wires individually.

12. The combination with the grooved assembling, compressing and feeding rolls of a wire-guide having individual grooves at its front ends and a transverse groove in rear of said guiding-grooves.

13. The Wire-guide herein described, having a tapered front end and formed with a series of longitudinal grooves and with a transverse groove in rear of the first-mentioned groove, and having also channels, j5, for supplying cleansing material to the transverse groove. i y

14. The combination of the compressingrolls, one of which has a series of peripheral concave grooves and the other of which has a series of peripheral grooves smaller than those of the upper roll but arranged opposite their middle portions, means for supplying material to the rolls and a wire-guide having a series of longitudinal grooves arranged opposite the grooves in the lower roll for directing the wires thereto.

15. The combination of the assembling, compressing and feeding rolls, cement-applying devices arranged at a distance from the rolls, softening devices also removed from the rolls, guides for guiding brous material from the cement-applying devices and the softening devices to the rolls, and a wire-guide having its front end close to the body of the rolls.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

EDMUND MORRIS. 

